Karma and animals

Question:

Do animals have to suffer from their karma? For example, is it a sin for a lion to kill a cow?

Our Answer:
Animals don't suffer karma, at least not karma generated in their animal life; they're experiencing the karmic reactions generated in their previous human life. Only in human life—with its higher reasoning power and ability to make choices between Krishna and maya—is there karma. Animals act on instinct and only kill to eat or defend, in most cases.